U.S. strikes Iran resume after Trump threats; explosions reported on Qeshm and Kish
U.S. strikes Iran resumed on the evening of June 10, 2026, after President Donald Trump warned of hard retaliation, with CENTCOM saying the strikes were carried out in self-defence. Reports of explosions on the islands of Qeshm and Kish and anti-air defences activated in Tehran followed the U.S. announcement.
U.S. military frames action as self-defence
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said new strikes were launched against multiple targets in Iran and described the operations as "self-defence" responses to persistent hostile actions. CENTCOM stated the measures were intended to deter further aggression and protect U.S. forces and interests in the region. The timing of the strikes followed public warnings from President Trump that Washington would respond forcefully.
Explosions reported across southern Iran
Iranian state and local media reported explosions on the southern islands of Qeshm and Kish and near the town of Minab in Hormozgan province. Authorities also said air-defence systems were activated over western Tehran after blasts were heard in the capital’s outskirts. Eyewitness accounts from the affected areas described loud detonations and emergency services mobilizing to assess damage.
Clashes at sea and claims of a strike on Erbil
Iranian outlets reported exchanges of fire between Iranian and U.S. vessels in the Gulf of Oman following the strikes, and one Iranian news agency said a missile hit a U.S. base in Erbil, Iraq. The U.S. military has confirmed naval engagements in the area in recent days, while regional sources offered differing accounts of who initiated particular incidents. The sea clashes and the reported strike on Erbil underscore how quickly tensions have spilled beyond Iranian territorial waters.
President Trump’s threats and ‘mission secret’ claim
President Trump publicly warned on June 10 that the United States would "attack very hard" and suggested potential targets could include infrastructure like power plants and bridges. He also claimed, on social media and in the Oval Office, that a recent "secret mission" had allowed 100 million barrels of oil to transit the Strait of Hormuz and that more than 200 vessels had passed through the strait. Those assertions were presented by the president as part of efforts to justify the military posture and to signal resolve.
Pentagon leaders promise ‘powerful and precise’ strikes
At CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Pentagon officials described the planned or ongoing operations as powerful and precise, with the aim of limiting collateral damage while degrading Iran’s ability to conduct hostile actions. The Defense Department emphasized that strikes were measured responses tied to specific threats. Officials stressed that the United States remained capable of further action if threats persisted, while also acknowledging the risk of rapid escalation.
Regional responses and retaliatory claims
Iran has claimed it launched attacks on U.S. bases in Bahrain and Jordan in retaliation for earlier U.S. strikes on Iranian soil, and it has warned of continued responses to perceived aggression. Gulf states and neighbouring countries are closely monitoring the situation for risks to shipping, energy infrastructure and broader regional stability. International diplomatic actors have urged restraint amid concerns that exchanges of strikes and naval skirmishes could trigger a wider conflagration.
The resumption of U.S. strikes and Tehran’s forceful rhetoric come after weeks of oscillation between diplomacy and confrontation, including a truce that took effect in April and intermittent negotiations that U.S. officials said were near an agreement. With military actions now reported on both land and at sea, the outlook for renewed talks appears uncertain and contingent on whether both sides step back from further kinetic escalation.
